Will take elderly to Ayodhya for free if voted to power: Arvind Kejriwal in Gujarat

Adding that over the past three years, the Delhi government took 50,000 elderly persons on pilgrimages, Kejriwal said, “There has been a BJP government in Gujarat for 27 years. Did BJP take any of you to Ayodhya for darshan?”

In 2017, the BJP government in Gujarat launched Shravan Tirthadarshan Yojana that provides 50 per cent discount in fares to elderly persons in a group of at least 45 members to go on a pilgrimage for three days and two nights.

Claiming that government schools in Gujarat were in poor condition, the Delhi CM said, “(Delhi deputy CM) Manish Sisodia had also come
(here) a few days ago and he went to see schools. Such bad condition of government schools… In 27 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party could improve schools. Schools in Delhi were worse than those in Gujarat today. But we made government schools shandaar (excellent) within five years.”

He said that the success rate in Delhi government schools was 99.7 per cent, which was better than private schools. “This year, four lakh students joined government schools from private schools this year in Delhi. Children of the wealthy are now enrolling with government schools. As many as 450 children of our government schools got admissions in IITs this year,” he said adding, “The Bharatiya Janata Party never came to power to improve schools. It has been looting Gujarat for past 27 years. It wins only to loot.”
Adding that he has resolved to provide best education to every child in the country, Kejriwal said, “Till eight to 10 years ago, no one knew me… I got so much love of people and they entrusted me with such a huge responsibility… Now I feel that we can improve schools across the country.”

After asking the crowd how many had their children studying in government schools, Kerjiwal said, “Not all private schools are bad. But often they indulge in goondgardi (strong-arm tactics) by increasing fee as much as they wish… In Delhi, we didn’t allow private schools to hike fees for seven years… If we can set private schools right in Delhi, why didn’t the Bharatiya Janata Party do so in 27 years?”

He termed BJP as the “party of the rich” that will facilitate plush schools for children of the rich but would close down 6,000 schools of the poor.

Kejriwal also promised free electricity in Gujarat if AAP is voted to power and claimed that the AAP government provided employment to 12 lakh youths within five years in Delhi.

The AAP chief also lashed out at Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil over the alleged paper leak in government recruitment examinations. “People tell me that irrespective of who becomes the Chief Minister, CR Paatil runs the government. Every examination paper is getting leaked. I want to ask Paatil how he will run the government if he fails to conduct one examination properly… who is behind the paper leaks… No one goes to jail and paper after another is getting leaked and the future of children is being ruined,” said Kejriwal.

Labelling AAP as the party of educated, honest, patriot, and the one who knows how to run government, Kejriwal said BJP had become “haughty” by virtue of being in power for 27 years in Gujarat. “It thinks that no one can shake its government. I request you… for the sake of shaking their haughtiness, vote for the Aam Aadmi Party once… If we don’t do good work, next time you vote for them (the BJP),” he said.

The Delhi CM claimed that after people of Delhi and Punjab, now people of Gujarat have started loving him. “These days, Aam Aadmi Party is being discussed in villages and homes of Gujarat… Aam Admi Party is a subject of discussion everywhere. People of Delhi love me a lot and so do the people of Punjab. I am quite happy that now, people of Gujarat have also started loving me a lot.”

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal also received a delegation from ceramic industry cluster of Morbi. The Delhi CM will fly back to Delhi Thursday morning.